Valve puller for oil wells



J. C. VROMAN VALVE FULLER FOR OIL WELLS Filed Jan. 17, 1945 INVENTOR.

' Jorm c. VROMAN,

.BY 7 Wm WM j ATTORNEYS Feb. 5, 1946.

Patented Feb. 5, 1946 John C. Vroman, Detroit, Mich. Application January 17, 1945, Serial No. 'l3,243

3 Claims. (Cl. 103-180) The invention relates to apparatus adapted for use in the servicing of oil wells and more particularly to the means employed for removing a standing valve fitting. from its location in the working barrel. Various constructions have heretofore been used for this purpose but have not been altogether satisfactory in operation.

It is the object of the invention to obtain a simple construction of device which may be used either for the introduction of the valve fittin into the working barrel or for the removal or pulling of said fitting from said barrel when necessary for adjustment or repairs. To this end the invention consists in the construction as hereinafter set forth.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a vertical central section through a portion of a well casing showing the lower valve fitting in engagement therewith, the pump plunger, its valve fitting and my improved puller attached thereto.

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the puller detached;

Fig. 3 is a. longitudinal section illustrating the manner of disengaging the puller from the lower valve casing.

One form of valve puller which has heretofore been used is a screw secured to the lower end of the pump piston and adapted to engage a threaded aperture in the upper end portion ocf the lower standing valve fitting. To place the lower valve fitting in the well, it is first attached to the pump piston by means of said screw and is then lowered therewith to its proper location. It is secured in the working barrel by a frictional engagement therewith, after which the screw is detached by revolving the same with the piston and "sucker rod from the top of the well until all of the threads are disengaged. This is a rather laborious operation and considerable time is required for its accomplishment, Also, it sometimes happens that through breakage of its connection a pump piston may drop in the well from a considerable height, in which event the impact of the falling part will jam the screw into the lower valve fitting causing breakage of the latter.

It is one of the objects of the instant invention to obtain a construction of puller which after being used for inserting the lower valve fitting in the casing, can be disengaged from the latter a without the necessity of revolving the screw.

It is a further object to obtain a construction which in case of the dropping of the piston, will not injure the lower valve fitting, the construc tion being as follows. A is the lower valve fitting which is adapted to frictionally engagea seat in the working barrel B to be normally secured therein. The fitting A includes a hollow member C having a ball valve D therein normally engaging a conical seat E. The upper end of the member C is apertured for'the passage of the oil and the inner face of this aperture is threaded at F for engagement with a puller screw. G is the piston member of any suitable construction but provided at its lower end with an externally threaded portion H for attachment of the puller.

- My improved puller comprises a sleeve member I internally threaded at its upper end for engage- .ment with the screw-threaded portion H of the piston. The opposite sides of this sleeve are cut away at I for the passage of oil into the sleeve and upward therefrom into. the piston member G. Within the sleeve is a screw J having a head portion J and a threaded shank portion J The latter is flattened or cut away on one side to form a non-circular cross section which fits within a corresponding aperture in the lower end portion of the sleeve. Thus, if the sleeve is rotated, a corresponding rotation will be imparted to the screw but the screw is within the sleeve until it contacts with the lower end of the portion H. The proportions are such that only a few threads at the lower end of the screw project below the sleeve when the head J is in contact with the portion H, The threads oi? the screw correspond to the threads Fin the lower valve fitting and, consequently, the latter may be attached to the piston G by said screw. .It is, however, one of the objects of my invention to avoid the necessity of rotating the piston from the top of the well to the valve casing after This is accomplished by the latter has been seated. slotting or cutting away the central'portion of the screw, so that the re-- maining portions will be resiliently yieldable. Thus, after the valve fitting is frictionally engaged with its seat, an axial pull on the screw will merely collapse. by the camming action of the threads so as to disengage said screw from the valve member.

The construction which is described is also one which will avoid injury to the valve fitting by impact in case of the droppingof the piston and puller in the well. contact of the lower end of the screw with the Valve fitting will radially collapse said screw so that it can enter the threaded portion of the fitting without injury thereto.

When the valve fitting is to be withdrawn or free for axial movement disengage the puller from the resilient portions thereof Should this occur, the initial that with puller construction heretofore devised,

viz., by rotating the piston and puller iromthe top of the well until the threads or the screw are fully engaged with the threaded socket of the valve fitting. As this threaded engagement extends beyond the resilient portion of the screw, an

axial pull thereon will transmit suflicient force to the valve fitting to disengage it from its frictional bearing in the working barrel.

What I claim as my invention is: 1. The combination with the plunger of an oil well pump, a valve fitting having a screw-threaded socket at its upper end and a seat with which said fitting is frictionally engaged, of means for inserting or removing said fitting respectively for engagement with and disengagement from said seat comprising a member secured to and depending from said plunger, a screw telescopically engaging thev aforesaid member to have a limited axial movement relative thereto but coupled to rotate therewith, said screw having a substantially rigid threaded portion and a resilient radially. collapsilow thefirst mentioned member when saidscrew is at the upper limit of its axial movement and being adapted for engagement with and disengagement from the threads of said socket by an axial movement under predetermined force,

whereby said fitting when engaged by the resilient portion of said screw may be carried thereby into engagement with said seat while an upward movement of said plunger will disengage said screw from said socket leaving said fitting engaged with ble threaded extension, the latter projecting berigid threaded portion and a resilient radially collapsible threaded extension, the latter projecting below the first mentioned member when said screw is at the upper limit of its axial movement andbeing adapted for engagement with and disengagement from the threads of said socket by an axial movement under predetermined torce, whereby said fitting when engaged by the resilient portion of said screw may be carried thereby into engagement with said seat while an upward movement of said plunger will disengage said screw from said socket leaving said fitting'engaged with its seat and whereby an upward movement of said plunger when said rigid threaded portion of said screw is engaged with said socket will remove said fitting from its seat.

3. The combination with the plunger of an oil well pump, a valve fitting having a screw-threaded socket at its upper end and a seat with which said fitting is frictionally engaged, of means for inserting or removing said fitting respectively for engagement with and disengagement from said seat comprising a member secured to and depend-- ing from said plunger, a screw telescopically engaging the aforesaid member and provided with a head portion which is axially movable between spaced shoulders thereonbut is rotatively coupled therewith, said screw having a substantially rigid threaded portion and a resilient radially collapsible extension, the latter projecting below the first mentioned member when said screw is at the upper limit of its axial movement and being adapted for engagement with and disengagement from the threads of said socket by an axial movement under a predetermined force, whereby said fitting'when engaged by the resilient portion of said screw may be carried thereby into engagement with said seat while an upward movement of said plunger will disengage said screw from said socket leaving said fitting engaged with its seat and whereby an upward movement of said plunger when said rigid threaded portion of said screw is engaged with said socket will remove said fitting from its seat.

JOHN C. VROMAN. 

